Provident Financial (NASDAQ:PROV) Share Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Provident Financial Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PROV - Get Free Report) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $15.20 and traded as high as $15.55. Provident Financial shares last traded at $15.50, with a volume of 6,122 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Wall Street Zen initiated coverage on shares of Provident Financial in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. They issued a "hold" rating on the stock.

Provident Financial Stock Down 1.4%

The firm has a fifty day moving average of $15.24 and a 200-day moving average of $15.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67. The firm has a market cap of $103.70 million, a P/E ratio of 15.98 and a beta of 0.34.

Provident Financial (NASDAQ:PROV - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 28th. The financial services provider reported $0.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.04. Provident Financial had a return on equity of 5.09% and a net margin of 10.87%. The company had revenue of $10.12 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.86 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Provident Financial Holdings, Inc. will post 0.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Provident Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were paid a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.61%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 15th. Provident Financial's dividend payout ratio is currently 57.73%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Provident Financial

In related news, SVP Gwendolyn Wertz sold 1,940 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.40, for a total value of $29,876.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 25,337 shares in the company, valued at approximately $390,189.80. This trade represents a 7.11% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 11.41% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Provident Financial

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of PROV. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its stake in shares of Provident Financial by 7.9% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 29,084 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $424,000 after acquiring an additional 2,120 shares during the period. M3F Inc. lifted its holdings in Provident Financial by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. M3F Inc. now owns 438,215 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $6,394,000 after purchasing an additional 2,215 shares during the last quarter. Black Maple Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in Provident Financial by 8.9% during the 4th quarter. Black Maple Capital Management LP now owns 31,128 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $495,000 after purchasing an additional 2,557 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in Provident Financial by 25.9% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 26,464 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $421,000 after purchasing an additional 5,445 shares during the period. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its holdings in shares of Provident Financial by 7.4% in the fourth quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 334,789 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $5,326,000 after purchasing an additional 23,117 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.34% of the company's stock.

Provident Financial Company Profile

Provident Financial Holdings, Inc operates as the holding company for Provident Savings Bank, F.S.B. that provides community banking services to consumers and small to mid-sized businesses in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. The company's deposit products include checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as time deposits; and loan portfolio consists of single-family, multi-family, commercial real estate, construction, mortgage, commercial business, and consumer loans.